By Aurelio Locsin
Romantic Things to Do in Los Angeles
Whether your tastes run from natural to urban, water to sky, or budget to luxurious,
Los Angeles delights with many options. Take to the sky in a helicopter, hit the road in a dreamy sports car, or float off in a gondola, among other possibilities.
Gondola Getaways
Long Beach with Naples in the upper left
What can be more romantic than a gondola cruise through the canals of Naples, near Long beach? Book it for a moonlit night (until 11 p.m.), bring some wine, and dine on the included French bread, cheese and salami. If your gondolier can't sing, he can play your favorite tunes on the on-board CD player. cruises run 50 minutes and start at $75 per couple.
Gondola Cruises
5437 E. Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach, California 90803
(562) 433-9595
www.gondolagetawayinc.com
Griffith Park
Griffith Park trail
Romantic options abound through one of America's largest municipal parks with over 4,200 acres of nature paths, picnic areas and horse trails as well as a theater and merry-go-round. At the top, Griffith Observatory boasts the best views of the city on clear, smogless days. The park opens from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day though trails and mountain roads close at sunset.
Griffith Park
4730 Crystal Springs Drive
Los Angeles, California 90027
(323) 913-4688
www.ci.la.ca.us/rap/dos/parks/griffithpk/index.htm
Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car
Mercedes Benz SL600
A drive down Pacific Coat Highway or Santa Monica Boulevard in a luxury convertible can certainly impress your date. How about a Porsche Boxster for $250 a day or a Mercedes SL600 for $900 per day? Only the first 50 miles are free and then it's $1 to $2 per mile. A credit card, driver's license, and an excellent driving record are all required as is full insurance coverage.
Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car
9732 Little Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, California 90210
(800) 479-5996
www.bhrentacar.com
Warner Brothers Studio Tour
"Friends" set at Warner Brothers
Two-across seating gives ample hand-holding opportunities when you tour an actual working studio in intimate 12-person trams. Stroll through a French street back lot, hear your voices echo at a cavernous soundstage and reminisce through movie memorabilia at the museum. Tours run for two hours on weekdays, 8:20 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cost $45.
Warner Brothers Studio Tour
3400 Riverside Drive
Burbank, California 91522
(818) 972-8687
www2.warnerbros.com/vipstudiotour
Getty Center
Getty Center
Heroic Greek statues, Impressionist paintings of fields of flowers and racy drawings from the Italian Renaissance can inspire thoughts of love and romance in this world-class art museum. Encourage those thoughts with a stroll through the sculptural, 134,000-square-foot gardens and see superb views of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains. Admission is free (no reservations required) but parking is $15 per car.
Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, California 90049
(310) 440-7300
www.getty.edu
Celebrity Helicopters Night Tour
Los Angeles at night
For $269 per person, you can fly for 40 minutes in a helicopter over the lighted sights of downtown Los Angeles, including the Hollywood Bowl, Beverly Hills and Dodger Stadium. You'll also get a T-shirt, champagne, hors d'oeuvres, and a framed photographic souvenir. Options such as dinner or mini-limo pickup are available.
Celebrity Helicopters, Inc.
961 West Alondra Blvd.
Compton, California 90220
(877) 999-2099
www.celebheli.com/tours
Resources
About the Author:
Aurelio Locsin has been writing professionally since 1982. He published his first book in 1996 and had his first play produced in 2005. He is now a playwright, director and actor in Southern California. Locsin holds a Bachelor of Arts in scientific and technical communications from the University of Washington.
Photo Credits:
Wikimedia commons under GNU Free Documentation License, Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike
